The Chattanooga Mocs are going out of their way to make the Southern Conference’s job as easy as possible when it comes to men’s golf awards. Senior Paul Conroy earned SoCon Golfer of the Week honors for his play ending on Sept. 19.
Conroy led the Mocs to a second win in a row to start the season. His third-place finish at the Bearcat Invitational fueled a come-from-behind 8-stroke victory. That’s on the heels of Samuel Espinosa’s win at Erin Hills to open the season as the squad captured the Marquette Intercollegiate crown. It’s the second time winning the honor for Conroy (Oct. 19, 2022).
He was near flawless in shooting 7-under 206 at Coldstream Country Club. That included 10 birdies, 41 pars and just three bogeys. Fifty-one of 54 holes played at par or better. That’s 94.4 percent!
"Really impressed at how Paul responded after not being in the lineup for our first event at Erin Hills," Coach Blaine Woodruff noted. "He only made three bogies in 54 holes at a demanding golf course and gave himself a chance to win. It’s a testament to how hard he’s worked on his short game over the last year.
"There’s not a shot around the greens he can’t hit now. Really excited for him and he’s more than deserving of this honor."
The finish was the 15th top 10 and eight top five for the senior from Enniscorthy, Ireland. Conroy posted cards of 68, 70 and 68 along the way reaching 50 career par or better 18s. He’s just the sixth Moc to reach that plateau. It was also the 16th time in 30 teams starts he’s posted a par or better total.
The Mocs are back on the tee Oct. 22-23 defending their Furman Intercollegiate title. The Paladins host the event at Furman Golf Club. Conroy tied for third there last year with 7-under 206 leading the Mocs to back-to-back wins at the time.
Chattanooga distance runner Lesley Boyd was named the Southern Conference women’s cross country Runner of the Week, the league office announced Wednesday.
Boyd led the Mocs to a fourth place finish at the Mountain Dew Invitational hosted by the University of Florida last week. She placed second overall in the 3-mile race with a personal best time of 16:57.7.
Chattanooga will return to action Saturday, September 30 at the 22nd annual Live in Louisville Cross Country Classic at the E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park. The women’s 5K race will start at 10:15 a.m. with the men’s 8K to follow at 10:45 a.m.
Chattanooga’s Paul Conroy has been selected as the Southern Conference Men’s Golfer of the Week for all competition from Sept. 13-19. The selection is made by the league office.
Conroy finished third at the Bearcat Invitational in Cincinnati, Ohio, which wrapped play Tuesday. The senior posted rounds of 68-70-68 for a tournament score of 206 (-7). The Enniscorthy, Ireland, product played par or better on 51 of 54 holes, logging 10 birdies and 41 pars in the tournament. Conroy’s final round marked the 50th time in his career that he finished a round par or better, making him the sixth Moc to reach 50 for their career.
Chattanooga won the Bearcat Invitational in a field of 17 teams and 90 golfers, shooting 14-under-par 838 for the tournament. The Mocs shot 276 in the first round, 283 in the second round and 279 in the final round. Chattanooga’s victory marked the second win of the season in as many tournaments for the Mocs.
The Mocs play their next tournament in Greenville, South Carolina, at the Furman Intercollegiate on Oct. 22-23.
Also nominated: Symon Balbin (UNCG)